This woodblock, crafted in 1565 by designer Geoffroy Ballain and woodcutter Jean de Gourmont, depicts the Scytale, a mythical serpent classified as a subspecies of the Amphisbaena.

It was used as an illustration in Jacques Grévin's works on poisons, Deux livres des venins (1568) and De venenis libri duo (1571), underscoring the interplay of mythology and early scientific exploration. The serpent’s depiction aligns with Renaissance efforts to blend symbolic and naturalistic representation in anatomical and botanical texts.

Acquired by the Plantin-Moretus Museum in 1876, the block represents a fascinating artefact of 16th-century print culture and the period's enduring fascination with mythical creatures within the context of natural philosophy.

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